House of Chinchilla
“Mons Fortis”
Origin: Lords of Chinchilla de Monte-Aragón, La Mancha frontier
The lords of Chinchilla commanded one of La Mancha's most impressive hilltop fortresses, controlling the strategic route between Castile and the Levant.\n\nTheir castle, later enhanced by the Marquis of Villena, dominated the vast La Mancha plain. The family administered the growing saffron trade that made the region wealthy.\n\nChinchilla was one of the most important market towns in southeastern Spain, and its lords profited from both agriculture and transit trade.